


In a Sea of Strangers, You've Longed to Know Me

by Lolana



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Boat captain Lexa, Clarke's POV, F/F, Marine Biologist Clarke, This is going to be a sloooow burn, again ye be warned :), okay maybe a little bit more than a dash.., with a dash of angst thrown in there for good measure, ye be warned!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-03-26 02:21:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13848051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lolana/pseuds/Lolana
Summary: The one where Clarke is a marine biologist and Lexa owns a boat business in a small beach town.Or my excuse to nerd out over marine bio and boats with our fave leading ladies!





	1. The One at the Start

 

In a sea of strangers, you've longed to know me  
Your life spent sailing to my shores;  
The arms that yearn to someday hold me,  
will ache beneath the heavy oars.

Please take your time and take it slowly;  
as all you do will run its course,  
And nothing else can take what only  
was always meant as solely yours.

-Lang Leav

 

\--------

 

“’Scuse me miss!”

“’Comin’ through! Watch out!”

 A small, quiet, beach town marina was absolutely not how Clarke would have described the crowded waterfront, contrary to the misleading flyer Raven found back on campus. Already late for their meeting, she had sprinted from the overflowing parking lot towards the docks before Raven had even cut the engine.

 Unlike the university’s private pier, the marina was settled in a sheltered lagoon, sand dunes separating the hustle and bustle of the marina from the beach. Laid out like a horseshoe, the marina was generous in size with at least ten main docks all fingering out into the water. Lining the docks was a wide brick sidewalk that easily accommodated the morning foot traffic, with locals happily drinking morning coffees on benches scattered down its length. Acting as a buffer between the parking lots and the sidewalk was a long line of rustic, one-story shops and restaurants, some sharing a wall, others standing on their own.

Clarke allowed herself a moment to catch her breath against the weathered railing, her gaze overlooking the docks below. Glancing back towards the parking lot, Clarke spotted Raven weaving her way through traffic, the flyer clutched in her hand. As she got closer, Clarke teased, “Can’t keep up?”

 “Oh, ha ha, next time, you can drive and navigate while _my_ ass sleeps the whole way” Raven huffed, coming to a stop next to Clarke. “Oh wait, you can’t! The only license you have is your divers one,” she breathlessly quipped.

Rolling her eyes, “Whatever Rae, let’s just find this lady’s boat,” as she scanned the flyer. Not giving Raven a chance to bite back, “Alright, we are looking for Dock 3 Slip 8, Dock 3 Slip...” she trailed off as she turned to scan the walkway. --- _Slip 8…Where the hell—_

“Excuse me, ma’am, could you point me in the direction of---?” Clarke’s ears perked up upon hearing Raven’s ‘polite’ voice from behind her.

“If you’re lookin’ for the beach it’s on the other side of the dunes, honey!” With a groan, Clarke turned to find Raven glaring at the back of the middle-aged woman who just kept walking, fishing poles in hand.

With an annoyed shake of her head, Raven made her way back over and plunked her elbow on Clarke’s shoulder, palm on her cheek, and muttered, “I’m starting to regret not getting coffee this morning Clarkey.”

Swatting her best friend off her shoulder, Clarke bit back, “Well if I didn’t have to rip the covers off your bed, then we might have been able to spare ten minutes to stop for some. But no. We are,” checking her dive watch, “over twenty minutes late and we have no idea which direction the slip is in! There are literally hundreds here, Rae! How--” Her rant was cut off by Raven quickly pulling her into a hug, her hold tightening with Clarke’s embarrassed squirming.

“Babe, what did I say earlier? We got this! Let me figure out where the slip is, you just do the fancy talking alright? Besides, the Blake woman on the phone was excited to meet us too. Apparently, they do this kind of thing all the time. I’m sure she’ll understand we got a little lost on the way here,” she said, giving the blonde an obnoxiously tight squeeze before letting go.

Taking a deep breath, Clarke regained her focus, “You’re right, let’s just find this slip and take it from there, no worries.” _Famous last words…_

Three years ago, Clarke and Raven were wide-eyed twenty-two-year old’s taking their first taxi ride from the airport to some midtown hotel in the big city, 4,000 miles from home. Noses against the windows, they were captivated by the skyscrapers towering over them, so unfamiliar from the short but widespread city they had just left. Back then, they just had their bags, the support from Clarke’s parents and Raven’s Dad, and their dreams of saving the ocean.

It was a mad dash to find an apartment close to their soon-to-be alma mater, Fort Ashton University, before their first graduate school semester began but they managed to keep the meltdowns to a minimum, pulled themselves together and made it happen. Raven found an apartment building and Clarke talked their way into a cheaper rent. After that, it was all blood, sweat, and tears. Even though their rigorous programs didn’t allow time for a social life outside of school, and picking up odd jobs barely covered the bills, they knew the payoff would be worth leaving the comforts of home.

Fast forward to three years later, they were decked out in university garb feeling just as lost as they did that first week, searching for a non-existent blinking neon sign conveniently pointing to Dock 3 Slip 8.

Over their last semester of graduate school, Clarke and Raven had made dozens of calls looking for a boat to bring them out diving for the first few weeks of the summer break. The majority of them had ended with people laughing at their budget, but some turned into a few trips to piers around the city, which for one reason or another ended up without a deal. As graduation loomed closer, all their prospects had fallen through, leaving both of them scrambling to find another option. When Raven had burst into the middle of her half-empty Friday undergrad TA lecture waving a flyer and shamelessly saying she saved their asses, a wave of relief fell over Clarke. In her excitement at another chance, she blissfully agreed to schedule a meeting for 9:00 the following morning.

This has to work out, thought Clarke, as she pathetically tried to help Raven navigate the bustling marina. This really was their last-ditch chance at getting solid diving and research experience before they started their PHD programs in the fall. The end of summer was already going to be spent earning much-needed cash, but both of them wanted to celebrate their master’s degree with a fun diving getaway. If it didn’t work out, they would be disappointed, to say the least, but they could use the extra savings and maybe a break from the water would be good… _Don’t even try to kid yourself, you’re always miserable if it's over a week these days,_ Clarke chided herself with a small smirk.

“Over there!” Clarke was startled out of her thoughts by Raven’s voice, as she pointed to their left. “Dock 3! Come on babe, we still got this!” and without warning, Clarke felt herself being dragged down the main walk, bumping into a few of the locals in their rush. Skidding to a walk outside the dock gate and breathing heavily, Raven glanced back with a reassuring smile and she quickly led them from the walkway, down the plank to the floating dock below.

Shoulder to shoulder they bounded their way down the dock, “Slip 2, 4, 6… Slip 8?” Clarke worriedly glanced at Raven, as they came upon an empty Slip 8.

“…Looks like no one’s home though...” Raven muttered, hastily scanning the flyer as if it would explain the lack of any activity at the slip.

Lifting her blue-lens aviators, Clarke thought, _It’s not a big deal, it was a shot in the dark, you can just work and save up for next year. No big deal, no big deal..._ Clarke repeated to herself, shoulders now slumped. Tilting her head back she closed her eyes, the cool sea breeze doing little to calm her disappointment.

“Maybe we can find someone else…,” she halfheartedly suggested in Raven’s direction, earning a scoff in return.

In their bubble of disappointment, neither of them noticed a tall brunette slowly walking towards them from the sidewalk above. Barefoot, the wood decking creaked as the brunette came closer, forest green eyes flitting over the unaware, starkly obvious city dwellers. Stopping within feet of the newcomers, the brunette made no effort to introduce herself. She momentarily felt bad, having watched who she had assumed was her nine-o'clock sprint down through the dock gate from her storefront window. But, they were late. So without any preamble, her voice cut through their silence.

“So you’re the ones who were desperate to charter one of my boats, but you can’t even show up to a meeting on time?”

 


	2. The One with the Negotiation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember it's supposed to be from Clarke's perspective, and she's just trying to get a good deal on her summer vaca at this point haha

 

“So you’re the ones who were desperate to charter one of my boats, but you can’t even show up to a meeting on time?”

Clarke’s eyes snapped open upon hearing the stern voice, momentarily blinding herself in the morning sunshine. Blinking the stars away, she turned towards the tall newcomer as Raven quickly came to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, whispering, “Where did she come from?”

Most definitely failing at trying to recover, Clarke held out her hand and cleared her throat, “Hi, I’m Clarke Griffin. You must be Octavia Blake. Raven here---”

With a shake of her head the brunette cut in, “Octavia’s an employee of mine. You were supposed to meet with her, but she got held up with a bait shipment. And, since you’re late, now you’re meeting with me,” she stated with a pointed glare.

“Of course, and thank you for still making the time to meet with us. We aren’t used to marinas, having a map would have definitely helped,” Raven quickly chimed in, trying to ease the tension with a chuckle.

The brunette looked anything but amused. 

“Clearly,” she drawled. Before Clarke could respond, the brunette's eyes glanced down to the outstretched hand and blatantly turned to the side, focusing on the boats swaying in the water around them, with an impatient huff. "A call ahead would have been appreciated," the brunette said lowly, as if to herself, her hands fidgeting with the clipboard she held.

Dropping her hand gracelessly to her side, Clarke regarded the disgruntled woman. Leaning back on her bare right foot, she wore a pair of white shorts that accented an array of barely-there scars speckled on her tanned legs. A complex tattoo wrapping around a defined bicep disappeared under a slim-fitting garnet-red tank top, which sported a simple but elegant white north arrow logo overlaid on a calligraphy ‘C’. Despite the morning breeze, the brunette had her hair down fluttering in the wind. Clarke couldn’t help but feel momentarily self-conscious of her own haphazard bun.

With a quick shift over her jaw and a deep breath, the woman refocused towards them and with a strained but lighter tone, “I’m Lexa Woods, and the flyer you found was for my charter shop up along the walk. Octavia’s note said you wanted to have a private boat bring you two around the area, correct?”

Skeptical of the sudden change in tone, Clarke flattened out the crumpled flyer and recited their hopeful dates. “Yes, we were hoping you would have a boat available starting Monday, May 29th, for at least three days a week for the following three weeks.” Tentatively handing the flyer to Lexa, who read the scribbled schedule. Clarke paused, unsure of what else to say, and earned a nudge from Raven, who silently mouthed, _keep going!_ “W-we are graduating from grad school and it’s our celebratory gift to ourselves. Get some sun and scrub up our in-water research and dive skills.”

"Research?” Lexa questioned with a quirked brow, the wrinkled flyer getting clipped to her board. Clarke decided to take that as a good sign.

“Yeah, like snorkeling over the reefs and diving to the bottom, that sort of thing.” Raven piped up. “See some fish, identify species…you know, document what we see. Find a rhythm for working underwater. We gotta be in tip-top shape when Ph.D. work comes in the fall,” she joked. The brunette's expression, while still impassive, now held a spark of interest, which only encouraged Raven to continue her rant.

“Clarke’s got her underwater sketchbooks and I can finally test out my Paralenz camera!” Raven’s voice rising as she started bouncing on her feet, Lexa swiftly faded from existence. Turning to Clarke, “How cool would it be to bring a few fish on the boat to identify before letting them go! Maybe we could even bring water samples up and a rudimentary test or two!”

As Raven continued to rattle on, Clarke couldn't help but join in on her excitement. “We’ll definitely have to bring our nets and a few bottles for water samples then. How cool would it be to get some night diving in though? We could finally break in our dive lights! What about that hand corer you got? Let’s bring that too!”

“Yes! And maybe I could do some freediving,” Raven continued, glancing at Lexa with a snicker, “Clarkey here isn’t the best at holding her---"

“Hold on, wait, WAIT!” Lexa shouted over their banter, jolting both graduates into silence. “Octavia’s note said you were interested in fish, which… I suppose you are, but we usually deal with tourists looking to go fishing in the area, or deep sea fishing.” With a strained jaw, Lexa broke her gaze to the boats again, brow furrowed in thought.

Clarke waited with baited breath and began fiddling with her watch. _This is it, another one bites it…_

“…Now, I’ve never done any dive or snorkeling, let alone science trips…,” Lexa slowly continued, pinning them with a calculating look, “but, let’s go back to my office. I’ve got a boat in mind that could work.” Lexa offered with a slight nod and a barely there tilt of her lips. And without waiting for a response, she began walking back up to the main walkway.

The two graduates were left momentarily stunned by Lexa’s abrupt change of mind. Sharing a confused shrug, they hastily followed in her wake.

The main walk was significantly more crowded than when they had arrived, and Lexa barely slowed her gait to accommodate their unfamiliarity with the local marina rush. As people moved without logic, Clarke and Raven struggled to keep up, the pace so different from the city.

Taking in the walkway now that they weren’t running, the smell of freshly baked muffins filled her nose as she passed an outside seating area filled with the clatter of silverware and light chatter.

“We are so going there after this,” Raven demanded from behind her as they continued by a small boutique.

“As long as this goes well…” she replied, catching Lexa waiting for them under a light post up ahead. Behind Lexa was a single-story standalone shop set back a few feet from the main walkway. lined with a small picket fence, the shop had a small but well-maintained flower garden in front, a small stream of water leaking onto the main walk from a recent watering.

_The Commodore – Woods’ Boat Chartering_ , read a modest-sized sign hanging from the post above their heads, as Lexa lead them through the garden to the rustic front door.

The graduates entered into a spacious open floor plan, natural light flooding in from the large bay window and a faint lilac vanilla scent replacing the fishy smell of the docks. In front of them was a small waiting area with _The Commodore_ gift merchandise and t-shirts displayed, all adorned with the same north arrow logo as on Lexa’s tank top. to the left of the waiting area stood a well-stocked fishing pole and supplies display, which earned a low whistle from Raven as they passed.

Furthest to the left were two desks, one empty but for a small candle burning, the other occupied by a sharp-nosed dirty-blonde woman chatting away on the phone.

Passing the desks, the woman on the phone gave a quick smile to Lexa and a formal nod to the graduates, as they made their way to the back wall of the shop where there were two doors, one labeled ‘Managers Office’, the other ‘Bait Locker’. As Clarke crossed into the office, she could hear what she assumed to be the shipment being stocked from behind the other door.

“Alright, so it sounds like you’re going to need extra space to bring along scuba gear and whatever other equipment you’re going to bring,” Lexa began, getting straight to the point and grabbing a binder from the bookshelf and taking a seat behind her desk.

Sinking into the adjacent chairs, Clarke shared a look with Raven as Lexa continued, jotting notes on her clipboard. “The center consoles won’t fit the three of us and your gear, but the walkarounds...” She muttered to herself, as she opened the binder and turning it so Clarke and Raven could easily read the pages.

“How long would you want to be out on the water?” she asked, pen at the ready. “I have a 20-foot walkaround that we use for more local, day trip fishing excursions. It would be a tight fit though, especially with any gear you’re bringing, so depending on what you'd bring it may not be the best option.”

Leaning in as Raven began flipping through the pages, Clarke saw pictures of various boats ranging from fishing boats, speed boats, catamarans, and even a massive group fishing trawler. Clarke was impressed by the depth in Lexa’s array of boats and passively wondered how she managed to buy all of them, as she didn't seem much older than herself. 

“I’d say we'd like to be out at least five hours a day, but we would like to aim for at least two to three hours of actual dive time,” Raven stated, Clarke picking up where she left off.

“That would give us enough time to run safety checks, suit up, dive, test or document on board and run end-of-the-day safety checks. Usually, we can average an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes per tank, so we’ll have to take breaks to switch out as well. Plus that gives time for some fun snorkeling too.”

While Clarke more than intended to have fun while out on the water this summer, she also knew they both had to become more comfortable in the water than they already were. Her dissertation on endangered ecosystems and fish species in the area, and Raven's study on the area's paleoceanography rested entirely on their own determination and grit, and the data collection process could only go as smoothly as their experience would allow it.

Sure, they had logged plenty of hours in their waders sampling along the shore and gotten their advanced SCUBA certificates through their programs, but their only real dive research experience had consisted of preparing equipment for dives and staying on board to test or observe samples and log results. A handful of times they were allowed to actually dive, but only to help carry equipment up and down. However, neither of them had actually performed data collection underwater before. They would have to learn that on their own.

“Okay, so I suggest you book a larger one then,” Lexa said as she flipped to another page. Pointing to a picture of a spotless boat in the marina outside, “I have a 40-foot flybridge that I usually send out for the eight to ten-hour deep sea day trips. It’s got plenty of space to store equipment inside the cabin, two on-deck catch tanks, one small one oversize, and an open deck,” she continued, leaning back again as Clarke and Raven took in the boat. “It’s even got a collapsible platform on the back that should make it easier to get back on board for when you’re diving. I’ll be out of your way at the helm above the cabin and can keep watch from up there.” She paused, looking at the two for a reaction. “I think this would be your best option.”

Although Clarke barely knew anything about boats, she could acknowledge an impressive one when she was one. It’s sleek design and helm deck alone were striking, with the multiple antennas and small radar mounts assuring Clarke that this was a top-of-the-line fishing boat. However, having only ever gone on dive trips or expeditions aboard massive university-owned 80-120-foot vessels, the boat in the picture wasn’t even comparable. But, who was she to question Lexa? So, with what she hoped was a pleased tone, she replied, “This looks perfect actually, looks like it has everything we’ll need.”

Raven, on the other hand, skipped the praise and went straight for the jugular.

“Looks like a gorgeous boat, but even the paint job looks expensive! What’s this going to cost us?”

“Well,” Lexa began, non-pulsed, as she grabbed a calculator from a drawer, “That boat goes out for $100 an hour per person, with a max of six guests. That includes captain fees, pole rentals, bait costs, and gas to get to the different fishing areas. Since you won’t be needing fishing supplies,” she said punching away at the calculator, “and we won’t need to chase the fish all day…” she paused, only adding to the graduates’ nerves.

“I’d say $75 an hour per person should do. So that would be—”

“That’s $2,250 for a three-day week!” Clarke exclaimed, sharing a look of shock with Raven.

“Well, you are looking to charter during our peak season. If that’s outside your budget, we can look at a smaller center console, but it may not accommodate all your needs on the water.” Lexa replied calmly.

Taking a deep breath, Clarke refused to beg, but she would try and bargain. “Taking $25 off doesn’t seem like enough, considering we won’t be fishing, and we won’t need you to come down from the wheel and help us,” Clarke began as Lexa’s eyes narrowed and Raven leaned back in her seat, a small smirk forming.

“Plus, like you said we won’t be going to all those fishing spots, we just need to drop the anchor at one or two places a day or drift a little. We won't need to go further than 40 or 50 feet deep, so no long trips to and from the marina. That way we’d be using significantly less gas per day. Surely that allows for less of a fee per hour?” she finished, meeting Lexa’s calculating gaze.

After a momentary staring-contest, with a twitch of her nose, Lexa reluctantly began recalculating, scribbling notes and huffing a few times. Putting her pen down and looking back up she offered, “The lowest I will go is $60, anything lower than that and the trips becomes an expense for me. That would be a rate of $600 per day for the both of you, $1,800 for the three days a week, and $5,400 for the full three weeks,” she said, her face not giving away the annoyance in her voice.

Trying and failing to hide her elation at the cheaper cost, Clarke glanced at Raven, who gave her a slight nod and answered, “We’ll take it!” feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders.

With a short nod, Lexa began typing away at her keyboard. Clarke turned to Raven, who was wearing a similar grin and gave her a clap on the shoulder.

“Well done Clarkey,” she whispered, although Clarke was positive Lexa could hear her. “Now we can focus on actually graduating!”

Clarke let out a small laugh, but before she could respond, Lexa said, “Okay,” as she grabbed a sheet from the printer and handing it to Clarke, “Here’s a quote for the boat per your specifications which shows your set price. There’s a 10% down payment should you sign a contract. At that time, I’ll also need copies of your SCUBA and any other dive certificates, and if you have it, dive insurance for liability purposes,” she said, taking final notes and softly closing the laptop.

“Unfortunately, the boat is out on the water today, so we can’t go take a look, but if you give me your email I can send pictures tomorrow. Then you can give me an answer by the end of the week. You can either call the shop or email once you decide.”

Shrugging to each other in agreement, Raven scribbled their emails on Lexa’s notepad as Clarke looked over the contract. Once Raven finished, Lexa stood up and led the way out of the office into the main shop once more. As she stopped next to the two now empty desks she said, “I do hope you decide to book with us, and if you have any questions, feel free to give us a call and ask for me.”

Maybe it was the relief of the meeting going so well from starting off a little rocky, but Clarke was feeling brazen. So, holding out her hand once more, she replied, “Thank you so much Lexa, one of us will be sure to call once we take a look at the pictures this week.”

With an amused smirk, Lexa slowly grasped her hand with a rough, calloused hand. After a brief pause, she quickly moved to shake Raven’s as well.  “You’re welcome, safe travels back to the city.”

Giddily bumping their way out of the shop, Raven lifted Clarke off her feet once they were back on the main walk, not bothering to keep her voice down, “We did it! Fucking finally!”

“Rae put me down, you’re making a scene,” Clarke laughed, hardly caring about the locals who were in fact staring. As her feet touched the ground, she said “Now, I remember you saying something about a café. You’re going to be buying breakfast, Ms. I’ll-remember-to-set-my-alarm!” Ignoring Raven’s look of fake outrage, she started towards the café grabbing Raven’s hand, both of them laughing as they went.

 

 

\------------

 

 

“Good morning, this is _The Commodore_ at West Falls Marina, how can I help?”

 “Hi, this is Clarke Griffin, I met with Lexa Woods last Saturday about chartering a boat. Is she at the shop to talk by any chance?”

 “Hi Clarke, let me grab her for you quick. Hold on a sec.”

…

…

…

 

“Hello, this is Lexa Woods. What can I do for you?”

 “Hi Lexa, this is Clarke from this past Saturday. We got the pictures of your boat…?”

 “Clarke, it’s good to hear back. What did you think?”

 “We love it, it’s exactly like you said. Perfect amount of space, plenty of storage. We definitely want to sign the contract as soon as possible!”

 “I’m pleased to hear that you’ll be booking with us. I’ll finalize a contract with your quoted price and send a PDF to your emails. Both you and Raven will need to sign before sending back a scan.”

“Okay, and can I use a credit card for the down payment?”

“Of course. Give us a call back and one of my staff can handle payment with you once you sign the contract.”

“Awesome, again thank you so much! We can’t wait to go out on the water with you!”

“It’s my pleasure. Check your email later today, and I’ll see you on the docks on May 29th.”

“Perfect, see you then.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, let me know what you think!


	3. The One with the Graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is doing well!

 

Unlike her undergraduate ceremony, Clarke got up early enough to put together a light breakfast, before throwing on her sundress and heels with some barely-there makeup. She quickly straightened her hair and was out the door, cap in hand, gown draped over her arm.

With an assured stride, she met Raven, her Dad Diego, and her Mom outside her Mom’s hotel where both of them were given a bouquet of flowers, then the group continued over a few blocks to the university arena. With quick hugs and kisses, their parents went up to their seats leaving the two graduates to line up; Clarke with the Marine Biology Department, graduating with a degree in Marine Biology and Policy, and the Oceanography Department for Raven, graduating with a Marine Geophysics and Paleoceanography dual-degree.

Sitting in her seat, just one speck in the sea of graduates that day, she wasn’t nervous, not like before, but the same butterfly feeling erupted in her stomach when the lights dimmed and the Dean began his opening speech. Clarke knew the thunderous applause wasn’t solely for her. But that didn’t stop her from reveling in the waves of acclamation rolling off the crowds. 

The last three _grueling_ years had led up to this day. It had been non-stop since the beginning, from living in the library and labs to bounding at any opportunity to volunteer as a research assistant to her professors. She dove head-first into her graduate degree, knowing she had to rely on her own grit if she wanted to make her dream come true. And so, her social life quickly became non-existent, almost entirely exclusive to those within her program, and Raven. Even then, Clarke had a hard time dragging herself away from school to 'live a little,' as Raven called it, but it made her friends happy, and eventually, Clarke came to look forward to her weekly outings. But that was usually the extent of her social life, and Clarke liked it that way. While she was indebted to her core group, who she now sees as family, she didn’t have the time or energy for anything, or anyone, beyond them and her degree.

Waiting next to the stage stairs with her program, she felt a few pats on the back as her name burst from the arena sound system, _Summa Cum Laude._ Positive that the ear-splitting shriek of ‘Wooohoo!’ coming from somewhere in the arena was her Mom, Clarke’s heart tightened. There should have been two shrieks of joy as her name was called.

Moving towards the podium, tassel bouncing with each step, her lip began to wobble as she was unable to will away the grief that had crashed over her. Dr. Cartwig, her chosen Ph. D faculty mentor, stood next to the Dean applauding her, diploma in hand and a warm smile, seemingly reading Clarke’s thoughts.

Clarke knew she would have failed out had it not been for her Mom, Raven and Dr. Cartwig. Cece, as she had come to call her, had been on the expedition vessel when the call came in and made sure to stay in contact throughout the two weeks she was back home for the funeral. From the moment Clarke stepped back on campus, Cece subtly kept an eye on her by helping Clarke to stay motivated to attend class and when Clarke got too motivated, shooing Clarke out of the labs in the dead of night.

As Cece embraced her in a hug Clarke let out a small sob. With a squeeze of understanding Cece stepped back and with a proud smile she handed off the framed diploma and joined in the arenas applause. Feeling the smooth wood frame in her hands and reading her name, _Clarke Abigail Griffin_ beautifully scripted under the university crest, Clarke couldn’t stop the megawatt smile that spread a warmth over her, instantly easing the ache with overwhelming happiness.

With a newfound hop to her step, Clarke shook the Dean’s hand for a quick picture and exited the stage. Back at her seat, she could feel the relief wafting off everyone around her as they waited for the remaining graduates to make their walks. When Raven’s name was called, _Summa Cum Laude_ , Clarke screamed her voice raw as her best friend got her diploma from her Ph. D mentor, Dr. Sinclair.

The rest of the ceremony was a four-hour blur as the undergraduates received their diplomas. Clarke looked forward to seeing some of her TA students walk the stage, and half-heartedly joined the graduate chatter of mixed with bar plans and post-grad plans. Following the end-of-ceremony procession, Clarke met Raven in the arena and then their parents outside at their planned meeting spot. Immediately engulfed in a hug from her Mom, who pulled in Raven as Diego took pictures of the three huddled together.

“Griff, we fucking did it!”

“Raven!” scolded Diego as he shook his head with a chuckle, earning an eye roll from his daughter.

“Sorry Dad, I forgot to bring your earmuffs.”

Letting go, the group began their way down the sidewalk, Abby and Clarke behind Raven and her Dad, towards the Thai restaurant Abby had reserved a table at. Calling back to the Griffin ladies, “Abbs this place better be good, those speeches had my row asleep within ten minutes!”

With an arm slung proudly over Clarke’s shoulder, Abby jokingly reproached, “Raven, I’m sure the Dean took great care in writing that speech.” With a glance at Clarke’s skeptical face, she added, “Or not." Pulling Clarke in a little more she said, "but did you at least smile for your pictures with the Dean? Clarke you know I’m going to frame it and—”

“Put it on your desk so all your doctor friends can see it, yes Mom,” Clarke said with a laugh. As the Reyes’ continued their chatter ahead, Clarke continued in a lower voice, “I wasn’t expecting Cece to be up there too. Wish I could have gotten the picture with her instead...”

“I thought that too. She went quite out of her way for you last year. Such a great woman,” Abby replied, rubbing Clarke’s arm. “Did I tell you I went to get coffee with her once when I visited a few months ago?”

Clarke’s eyes widened in shock, “How did you even plan that! How did I not know?”

“She reached out a week or so after the funeral and gave me an update on you, and then I reached out to her before you went on your next expedition trip and we got to talking every once in a while,” Abby answered, a sad smile on her face as she slowed their pace. “You were our favorite subject. She would tell me about your expeditions, how you were doing with juggling TA work; about your success in the department…it gave me such a relief." As Clarke looked at her questioning,  "To hear her speaking so highly of you. I was sick with worry, with you being so far and on your own after... but you’ve done well for yourself,” she muttered, as they turned a corner onto another street.

With a heavy sigh, Abby kissed the top of Clarke’s head and whispered, “He would have loved to hear all the great things she said.” And with that, the Griffins continued in reminiscent silence, until the Reyes’ came into view standing under the restaurant’s awning.

The restaurant was amazing, with Diego spoiling them with drinks and a heartfelt toast to Raven, making her tear up as he listed her accomplishments. “Just remember us when you’re saving the oceans,” he ended which a chuckle.

By the time dessert rolled around, Raven had gladly regaled Abby with Clarke’s more embarrassing moments since they had last gotten together, and Clarke had made sure Diego knew about Raven’s unfortunate tinkering mishap with the university air compressor.

After devouring dessert, they were finishing their drinks when Diego asked the graduates if they had found a boat for their dive trip, which they both excitedly stumbled through explaining.

“There was a flyer--”

“It’s Rae’s fault we were so late---”

“She was such a bit—"

“We start on Monday, so this weekend is going to suck ass—”

“Yes, we got an AirBnB out there. No, we won’t drive back to the city every night."

“I bargained though, you’d be proud Mom! We were able to get her to agree to $5,400 total. Not the best we could have gotten, but she went lower than anyone else would so…” with a glance at Abby, “I’m going to use some of Dad’s money to help pay for it,” Clarke rushed out. “I thought that would be a good first use of it, he’d be happy—”

“You don’t need to convince anyone Clarke,” Abby said, quickly taking Clarke’s hand into hers, “He left you that money to use on whatever you wanted. Go use it,” she said with a quiver of her chin. Clearing her throat, “Just as long as I get to buy you a new wetsuit and goggles, I can’t believe you still use your undergrad pair!”

“Yeah babe, those things need a break, you’ve pee—Ouch!”

“Thanks, Mom! It would be nice to break in a new suit on the boat,” Clarke interjected with a sharp nudge to Raven’s side.

Diego and Abby split the bill, showering the two with more hugs and kisses during their walk to their parent’s hotel.  After saying goodnight and heading back out to the street, they quickly scrolled through various messages from friends asking when she and Raven were headed to the bars.

“Clarke I’m not sure I can take much more after Dad wine and dined us.”

“Just get your seltzer then,” Clarke teased as she flagged down a passing cab, scooting into the backseat.

"I only did that a few times, I had exams the next morning!" Raven said as she rattled off their apartment address. 

“Mhm, and then right after where would you always go to celebrate?” Clarke chuckled as the streetlights rhythmically lit up the taxi with the flow of traffic.

 “Whatever, at least I saw the light of day during the week you library gremlin."

Once they got to their apartment they quickly changed and were out the dooring again, arm in arm as they headed towards their hidden treasure, as Raven coined it.

It wasn’t anything special, but The Bunker was right around the corner from the lab buildings and had a variety of local beers on tap for cheap. Over the years it became their group's meet-up spot, a place to unwind. Pushing through the front door, the dimly lit bar was already packed with graduates, most of whom Clarke recognized. With a tap to her shoulder, Raven signaled her exit before she got engulfed by the oceanography crowed, leaving Clarke to shuffle her way towards the pool tables, where her marine bio friends were already into a game of eight ball.

“Griffin we thought you’d stood us up!” said Harper with an easy smile, drink in one hand, cue in the other.

“Sorry I’m late, dinner went much longer than we thought it would,” Clarke replied, giving the other blonde a quick hug, careful to avoid the sloshing drink.

Clarke and Harper had been paired up as lab partners in their first graduate semester, which started a bit rocky due to their competitive natures. It wasn’t until they were re-paired up in another lab the following semester that they decided to call it quits, and rather than being cutthroat against each other, starting going overboard with their lab assignments, leaving the other lab groups behind in their wake. They both pushed each other to go the extra mile and by the end of their first year, they had already been asked to work in the labs on their professor’s research projects in the summer.

"I had a fun-filled afternoon at the playground chasing kids and eating hot dogs and burgers," Harper laughed. "I love them all but damn, I don't have that kind of energy to keep up with them all."

“How many rascals are you Aunt to now?” Clarke asked as she cracked open a beer bottle.

“Too many t—"

“Hey Clarke! Enough of this chit-chat. Go get Reyes so Emori and I can kick your asses, again,” interrupted John as he pushed his way through the crowd, a sloppy grin plastered on his face. “Losers buy the winners a round!”

John Murphy, had surprisingly become another of Clarke’s best friends in the department. Raven despised his sense of humor and constant crass sarcasm, but Clarke loved it. It wasn't until when Clarke’s Dad passed away that they grew close though. He was one of the few who could bring her out of a particularly dark mood, often pulling jokes at his own expense. He later confided in her that his mother had passed away during undergrad.

“Don’t mind John, he’s been here since half an hour after the ceremony ended,” said Emori appeared from behind him, poking his arm with her own cue.

Emori was the true glue of the group. As a second-semester transfer student, she was reserved and kept to herself during labs, but eventually, Clarke, Harper, and John had determinedly broken down her walls, and the four of them became the leaders of the Marine Biology department.

“Thanks ‘Mori, now Griffin’s going to think she stands a chance!” John whines as he scrapped the current game despite Harper’s protests and began resetting the table. Rolling her eyes, Clarke rounded the table to fish out the remaining balls from the sockets praying that Raven hadn’t done her usual double shots with her friends.

Of course, she had. The games quickly turned into Clarke and Emori playing against each other as Raven and John bickered in the background, louder and louder with the passing games. As her final shot sank the eight ball into the pocket, Clarke pulled Emori to the bar with Harper, leaving Raven and John still bickering about currents, settling in a row of high top stools. One of the bartenders quickly filled their order.

“Harper should be the one buying drinks though, she’s the one with a big kid job and everything now,” Emori teased as she clinked beer bottles with Clarke.

Raising a brow towards the other blonde Clarke said, “She’s got a point, we are going to be in the exact same position come fall, while you’re makin’ the big bucks!”

“Oh stop, you know I’ll still be in the city, and you better still invite me to Wednesday dinners!” Harper scoffed as Clarke and Emori pretended to think it over.

“Maybe, if you play your cards right. Maybe woo us with bagels sent to the lab?”

“Yes! Or surprise us with delivery Chinese! Please, Harp, you _know_ what the lab café food is like!” Pleaded Emori.

Before Clarke could prod some more, Raven and John had finally noticed their games were long over and found their way to the bar.

“Clarke where’s my shot!” John slurred as he attempted to share Emori’s high top chair, spilling his drink and earning a glare from the nearest bartender.

“Sorry Dax!” John said, throwing a hand in the air in apology. Wiggling his eyebrows, he leaned towards Clarke and attempted to whisper, “So Griff, and you waiting for us or going home with Dax again?”

“John shut up, you have no tact!” A blush spreading up her neck to her cheeks. “You’re such a bad wingman, Mori’ how do you deal with him?” Emori just gave an unimpressed eye roll with a shake of her head.

“Whatever, he’s been waiting since you last hooked up a few months ago. Go for it girl, go get yours!” Not even trying to whisper anymore. Both of them missing Dax’s ears flaming red behind the bar as Harper and Emori just laughed in the background.

"Alright hotshot, let's play a quick game of speed pool, I'll give you another chance to win," Clarke said, flashing Dax a small grin.

 

\------

 

Clarke opted to walk home rather than call a cab. The streets were no longer a maze for her, and instead held nostalgic and some cringe-worthy memories. As the sun began to peak through the morning fog, Clarke swung by her favorite of the many neighborhood bagel shops and slowly trekked to her and Raven’s fourth-floor apartment, the bagel bag tucked in the crook of her arm.

Entering the two-bedroom apartment, she tossed the bag onto the counter, “I’m home! Come get bagels!” Not waiting for a response, she took out some juice cups and began setting up the breakfast bar.

“Clarke you’re a lifesaver! Did you go to Niylah’s?” Raven asked as she padded from her room and plopped herself at the breakfast bar, hair askew.

Closing the fridge door, Clarke laid out the cream cheese, butter, and jelly, “Yeah, she threw in a few muffins for us too. Did everyone crash here? What did you guys end up doing?”

“Mhm, Harp slept in your bed, Murphy and Emori are on the couch." They both glanced at the couch as John's hand waved from the blankets with a lazy, "Mornin'."

"Yeah, we just stayed a bit longer then came back here and chilled. It was late so I figured.." Raven trailed off as she cut open her everything bagel.

"Of course," Clarke waved off her questioning tone, "we all know Harp isn't used to staying up past nine anyways. I'll go grab her," she said with a grin. As she passed the couch she batted John's foot, "Come on guys get up, I brought warm bagels!"

Opening her bedroom door, she laughed at Harper's sheepish look as she looked up from her phone. "You're bed's so comfy Griff, where did you get it?"

"You'd have to ask my Mom," Clarke responded as she quickly changed from her clothes from the night before. "Come on, warm bagels are on the counter."

"Coffee too?" Harper asked as she slowly climbed out of the bed.

"Hell yeah!" Came Raven's response from the kitchen, and with that Clarke followed Harper back outside. Once they were all settled, Clarke noticed four pairs of eyes pointedly staring at her.

“Come on Griffster, give us the deets!” John pipped up.

“Sorry, not living vicariously through me today. Now eat up, Rae and I have to start packing. Anyone want to help?” she tried to evade, looking anywhere but at them.

 "What, don't try that! Come on!" Mori said as she chewed.

"Yeah, how was it? You never stay the night, so what gives?" Harper wiggled her eyebrows. Raven, who had been laughing in the background, thankfully changed the subject for once.

"Whatever, let Griff have her secrets, so who wants to help us pack?" she diverted. Clarke knew she'd get the third degree from her later, but sent a thankful look towards her best friend as she sipped her coffee.

“Noo, I think Mori and I had other plans today... sorry...” John said, taking a massive bite of his bagel, staring pointedly at the countertop as Emori shook her head with genuine regret.

“Can’t, the cousins want a tour of the campus and university dock,” Harper said through chews. “When do you two leave again?”

“Tomorrow morning, we are going to bring all of our stuff in a small trailer and settle in. Then we start up Monday morning,” Raven said, already finishing her first bagel and onto her second. They continued to chat, all of them glad this wouldn't be their last morning breakfast. Conversation slowly ebbing away as they finished off the bag from Niylah's, Clarke stood up and tossed her plat into the dishwasher.

“Alright, I’m going to shower then Rae, we have to get the trailer, ok?”

“Got it babe. Go shower, you need it,” she replied with a wink.

Thirty minutes later, refreshed and ready to go, Raven and Clarke shooed everyone out and picked up the trailer from around the corner and parked it right outside the apartment building.

They only had a few arguments over what to bring and leave behind, and that, “No Rae, we can’t bring those chemicals, they aren’t safe to transport!” Raven huffed a little, but Clarke was pretty sure she snuck in a few small bottles anyways. After two hours of lugging their stuff down to the trailer and piling it all up, they paralleled the Jeep and the hitched trailer a little way down the street, locked it all up, and crawled their way back up the stairs once more.

 “Our parents are leaving soon for the airport, my Dad says they want to stop by quick," Raven said as she tidied up the apartment. 

“My Mom has a key, I'm done with stairs for the day” Clarke groaned, snuggling into the couch for a nap.

“You sore from the stairs or....?” came Raven's teasing tone.

“Shut up Rae” blushing into the pillow.

“Oh come on, you got yours, at least be happy about it!”

“Not talking about this...”

“Fine, set an alarm, they'll be here in 45 minutes,” she said as she shuffled into Clarke’s room, her favorite napping spot.

“Raavenn!” Clarke whined as she flopped down next to her. “Learn to set your own damn alarm,” as she turned her phone volume up high, eyes already closing as sleep quickly took over.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very excited to post the next chapter where we will finally get out on the water, flustered captain and all!
> 
>  
> 
> PS September 2018: I'm still here, planning on updating either this month or in October.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, this is a side project that I've got a soft spot for and am determined to complete. Let me know what you think!


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